The Lebanese Republic is a very small country – only 217 kms long and 80 kms wide. It has four ‘sections’ running like ribbons down its length: the coastline of the Mediterranean ocean, the Lebanon mountains, a fertile valley called Bekáa, and another mountainous area that includes the volcanic Mount Hermon. Its name comes from the old *Semitic word ‘laban’ meaning ‘white’, which refers to the heavy snow in the mountains. Lebanon’s forests of cedar trees are mentioned a lot in the Bible, but logging has reduced the forests to only about 5% of their former size. Despite that, a cedar tree appears on the national flag.